By Agnes Chai
Sep 10 2021
KOTA KINABALU – KK prelate Archbishop John Wong launched the Novena to the Holy Spirit with the clear message that it needs to be approached with confidence and trust in the Love and Mercy of God.
The nine-night Novena to the Holy Spirit is organized by CHARIS Malaysia National Service of Communion, dedicated to praying for Malaysia, as we approach to celebrate the 58th Malaysia Day on Sep 16.
While the prolonged pandemic has turned life upside down, the political instability does not help in the already stressful situation. It is in this dire situation that the Church reminds her faithful the need to turn to God to seek His consolations and wisdom.
Drawing from the Scripture text from 1 Cor 2:9-12, the Archbishop reminded us through St Paul that what “God has prepared for those who love Him” is beyond anything human being can comprehend or imagine, and that “no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God” who “searches everything, even the depths of God”.
He also calls our attention to the great love that God has for us in giving us His Spirit to help us to understand the gifts God has bestowed on us. The Novena serves as an opportunity to come to God with a grateful heart for the gifts He has already given to us.
He added, being aware of God’s gifts to us in His Spirit, we, with humility and docility to the Spirit’s leading, must know that God would only and always gives us what is good for our Country and Church, even when things appear otherwise.
Therefore, as we come together in this Novena, we have the confidence and trust in God’s Love and Mercy, that though the world/situations seem to be in chaos, be it in our social life, political life, material life, moral life or in the environment, we believe when the Spirit of God tells us that God is above and in control of everything.
As firm believers of the Living God, who come together single-mindedly to pray for our Country and Church, we hear the Spirit of God calling us to set our minds first on our eternal home, and to know that no matter how good things can be here on earth, it will never ever come near to what God has prepared for those who love Him.
The nine-night prayer initiative to the Holy Spirit runs from Sep 7-15. Each night will be led by each of the nine Dioceses in the Catholic Church in Malaysia, starting with the Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu. The Novena will conclude on Sep 16 with a Eucharistic Celebration at 8.00 pm by BIshop Cornelius Piong of Keningau Diocese
This Novena to the Holy Spirit program has been fully endorsed by all the Archbishops and Bishops of Conference of Bishops for Malaysia and all Catholics are encouraged to come together to join the Novena to the Holy Spirit to pray for our Country in this challenging time.
The Novena each night will be broadcasted over the CHARIS Malaysia YouTube channel and it will start at 8.00pm and anticipated to finish by around 9.00pm.
